Semolina/Rava Toast

This is an easy snack or tiffin , using rava and applying it as a spread on any bread and toasting it on a tawa.

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-7 minutes


INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat bread - 5 slices
Rava/semolina - 1/2 cup
Tomatoes -1/8 cup chopped
Onion -1/8 cup finely chopped
Capsicum-1/4 cup finely chopped
Carrots -1/8 cup grated
Green chilies - 1 finely chopped
Black pepper powder -1/2 teaspoon
curd or plain yogurt - 4 tablespoon
Salt- as required
Oil -1 tablespoon
Water - as required
Oil (For toasting) - as required

METHOD:

1. In a bowl, add tomatoes,onions,capsicum,carrot,green chillies,pepper,salt and oil.

2. Now add plain yogurt and rava and mix well.

3. Now add some water. Do not add too much water. The batter should be in a paste like consistency. If too watery, it will not stick to the bread. Take a whole wheat bread and now apply the batter evenly.

4. Sprinkle some oil on the tawa, and put the bread with the batter side touching the pan.

5. Wait for 3 to 4 minutes, for the rava to cook well. Adjust the flame between medium and low . Apply some oil on the top of the bread as well. Now flip the bread.You can see the rava cooked well in to a golden brown colour.

6. Wait for the bottom part also to cook to golden brown.Remove from tawa, and serve hot with tomato ketchup. Rava toast is ready !!!

NOTES:

1. If you dont eat onions, you can add cucumber instead .You can also add green peas.

2. SEE ALSO: veg samosa, easy vadai, masala bread

Sweet ammini kozhukattai

Ammini kozhukattai is south Indian dumpling/modak that are made of rice flour which are steamed and given some seasoning. I tried a sweet version of that, by adding some jaggery to rice flour.. It can be made in short time and very healthy .

Preparation Time: Under 5 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder -1/2 teaspoon
water - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Take 1 cup of rice flour and mix with cardamom powder. Also, take about 1/2 cup of jaggery.

2. In a 2 liter pressure cooker, add 1/2 cup of  jaggery and  1 cup of water.

3. Cover the lid and cook in high flame for just 1 whistle.Switch off the stove and release pressure manually. Open the lid , and immediately add rice flour and mix well fast without any lumps.

4. Cover the lid with the cooker weight on and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes(Do not keep on the flame. Just allow it to rest for the dough to cool down). Now , open the lid and take marble sized dough. Apply some ghee on your palm,  and roll it in to round shapes.

5. Steam it for about 10 minutes. Sweet amminis are ready !

SEE ALSO: carrot halwa, padar peni, badam halwa

Kodo millet pongal

Kodo millet also know as varagu arisi(tamil)/ kodra(hindi) is a type of millet that looks similar to rice but small in size and round in shape . I made south Indian pongal using this kodo millet and moong dal.

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Kodo millet - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 2 tablespoon
Salt- as required
Water - 2 1/4 cup

SEASONING:
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Oil-1 tablespoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ginger - 1 tablespoon grated
Cashews - 10 no.s chopped
Asafoetida powder - as required


METHOD:

1. In a pan, add moong daal and dry roast for 1-2 minutes, until it is hot to touch.

2. Now wash millet and moong dal and drain the water.Now in a vessel take millet,moong dal and add 2 1/4 cup of water and salt. Place it inside pressure cooker.

3. Cover the lid and cook in medium flame for about 4 whistles. Switch off the stove and let the pressure settle by itself.

4. Now grate some ginger. Prepare the ingredients for seasoning the pongal.

5. Now in pan, add some ghee and oil. Add mustard,cumin seeds,cashews and grated ginger. Also add pepper powder and asafoetida powder. Pour the seasoning over pongal and mix well.

6. Millet pongal is ready ! Serve with sambar or coconut chutney.

SEE ALSO: Instant sambar, coconut capsicum chutney

Beetroot Rice

This recipe is quite easy. It is a kids-friendly recipe, mainly because, all the ingredients are mashed up and mixed with rice . My son always try to discover chopped veggies and onions in the food and  make it as a reason to avoid eating the food. But in this beetroot rice, I made a puree of beetroot with onion,tomato,garlic,green chilli and ginger and mixed with rice. Hence there is no way that kids can find any chopped veggies. This is an ideal recipe for lunch box packing.

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Beetroot - 1 medium sized
Onions - 3/4 cup chopped
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Greenchilli - 2 no.s
Ginger - 1 inch sized
Garlic - 3 pods
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala -3/4 teaspoon
Salt - as required

SEASONING:
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Oil-2 teaspoon
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin seeds -1 teaspoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon


METHOD:

1. Peel and wash beetroot and dice them in to big pieces. In the large vessel, add 3 cups of water and boil the beetroot pieces for about 10 minutes, until it get little soft.

2. In the meantime, Cut onions,tomatoes,green chillies,ginger and garlic.

3. Now , filter the boiled beetroot. Do not throw that water. That water is later reused .

4. Now allow the beetroot to cool down and grind it with tomato,onion,green chilli,ginger and garlic into a smooth paste. No need to add any extra water while grinding.

5. Now in a 3 liter cooker, add ghee and oil. Add mustard,cumin seeds and bay leaf.

6. Now add the beetroot puree which you prepared in step 4. Also add salt,cumin powder,coriander powder and garam masala powder and mix well. Allow the contents to cook well for at least 10 minutes, till the raw smell of beetroot and spices are gone.

7. Now add the washed and drained basmati rice. No need to soak the rice prior to cooking.

8. Mix well. Now add the water filtered from boiled beetroot in step 3. The water roughly amounts to 2 cups, as some water would have got evaporated when beetroot was boiling. Measure and add it to rice. If it comes less than 2 cup , u can add some plain water. So the ratio is, for 1 cup rice, needs 2 cups of water. Cover the lid. Cook in high for 1 whistle. Then turn to medium flame and cook for 3 whistles. Switch off the stove.

9. Wait for the pressure to settle itself. Open the lid. Beetroot rice is ready !. Serve with any raita and papad !

Beetroot rice,potato fry,cucumber raita and papad!

SEE ALSO: Beetroot peas pulao, Potato capsicum pulao, Masala onion rice

Capsicum Besan Fry

This is an very easy dry curry that goes well with rotti or rice. It is made of capsicum,besan(gram flour/kadalai maavu) and spices !.

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Capsicum - 3 medium no.s( I used yellow and green colored one)
Besan/gram flour/kadalai maavu - 1 cup
Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt- As required
Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon squeezed
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - as required
Oil - 5 teaspoon
Water - as required

METHOD:

1. Cut capsicum in big size pieces.

2. In a pan, add 3 teaspoon of oil. Then add mustard and jeera. Once it splutters , add the diced capsicum , salt and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. No need to wait for the capsicum to get soft. When the capsicum is half-cooked, add the besan , turmeric,red chilli, coriander powder .

4. Mix well. Add another teaspoon of oil . Sprinkle some water. Don't add too much water, as it would turn them to soggy. Keep it covered and let the besan get cooked for 10  minutes. In between, occasionally open and sprinkle some water and mix the contents well, so that it doesn't get burnt. Besan needs time to get cooked well and also to avoid the raw smell.

5. In the end, switch off the stove, add lime juice and sprinkle some asafoetida powder.

6. Capsicum besan curry is ready !. Serve with rice or rotti !.

SEE ALSO:  Bhindi masala, Broccoli stir fry, Aloo Gobi(dry)

Dal Tadka (Punjabi Style)

This is simple Punjabi style dal fry that goes well with rice or rotti !

Preparation Time : Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Toor Dal(Tuvaram paruppu) - 1/4 cup
Channa dal(bengal gram/kadalai paruppu) - 1/4 cup
Water - 1.5 cups
Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder -1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala -1/2 teaspoon
Amchoor powder(dry mango powder) - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Onion - 1 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
Sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
Ghee - 2 tablespoon
Bay leaf - 1 no.
Cinnamon stick - as required
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

SEASONING:
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli - 2 no.s
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - as required


METHOD:

1. Wash and drain toor and channa dal . Add 1.5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder in a pressure cooker, and cook in medium flame for 5 whistles. Let the pressure settle itself. The dal looks whole and it wont be mashed . That is the desired consistency.

2. In a pan, add ghee . Add bay leaves,cinnamon,cumin seeds.

3. Now add onions and fry for few minute. Sprinkle some sugar for the onions to get saute well.

4. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for another few minutes till they change colour,

5.  Now add tomato and fry for few minutes.

6. Now add kashmiri red chilli powder ,turmeric powder,coriander powder,garam masala , amchoor powder and required salt. Fry till the raw smell is gone and oil starts to leave sides.

7. Now add the cooked dal and required water for desired consistency and allow to boil and keep in sim mode and cook for 6 minutes. Switch off the stove. Now in another pan, add some oil, add mustard,dry red chili, red chilli powder and asafoetida powder . Pour it over the dal.

8. Dal tadka is ready !. Serve with rice or rotti.

SEE ALSO: panchmela dal, saibhaji, spinach stem spicy dal

Eggless Wheat Cake

My maiden attempt in making cake !.. I never tried much to make cake..But couple of days before I happen to find this recipe in some website.. I was tempted to try it out . It did turnout very well.. This cake doesn't require any baking oven. Normal microwave oven is just enough... A very healthy wheat cake with less fat . Please try out and leave your comments.

Preparation Time : Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 3 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Whole wheat flour - 8 tablespoon
Sugar - 6 tablespoon
Cocoa powder - 1 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Lime juice - 1 teaspoon
Thick curd - 1.5 tablespoon
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Water - 5 tablespoon(or as required)
Chopped walnuts - as required

METHOD:

1. In a bowl, add whole wheat flour,cocoa powder,baking soda and mix well.

2. In another bowl, add butter,sugar,lime juice,curd and beat well using spoon, till the sugar gets completely dissolved. Now add 5 tablespoon of water.

3. Now mix the flour and syrup which you prepared in step 2. The batter should be smooth . Use your hands to mix it well. The consistency should be like idly batter consistency. When poured, it should flow like a ribbon. Grease a microwave safe cup with butter or ghee. Pour the batter in the cup. Garnish with chopped walnuts in the top. Pour just half cup. Because when cooked, the cake would rise up.

4. Now set the micro wave in full heat option. Place the cup in microwave and set the time for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, take it out and insert a small stick inside to see if it is completely cooked till the bottom. You can microwave for additional 30 seconds again. But be careful not to burn the cake. Take it out and allow it to cool down.

 

5. You can cook in any microwave safe vessel of any shape. Once cooked, allow it to cool down completely for 30 minutes. Then slowly take it out, by using spoon and removing the cake from the sides . Egg less Wheat cake is ready ! .. Heat for 1/2 minute before serving for better taste !.

SEE ALSO: Carrot halwa, Wheat ladoo, Padar Peni